Thursday, March 13, 2014

Glowing Virgin Mary Statue in Belgium

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/24865/53/

Dancing Sun Miracle - Divine Mercy Hills, Philippines

Divine Mercy Hills, Philippines, 2013.

http://youtu.be/yF0_ysUivxE

Jesus will give you rest

The devil is very happy to let you think that even your minimal financial success, or your fame, or career, or your stature in society, are a result of your faith in God. The devil knows your simple thinking will result in bitter disappointment or a shallow faith; either way, you are not growing closer to Jesus.

There's only one way to peace and Jesus said come to Me and I will give you rest. Jesus did not say come to me and I will give you money which will give you rest. Jesus did not say come to me and I will give you a good job and it will give you rest. No, Jesus said that He will give you rest. Nothing else will give you rest. It will only give you rest for a while but it will let you down.

ONLY Jesus will give you rest.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Study: Birth-Control Pill and Abortion Spike Breast-Cancer Risk | Daily News | NCRegister.com

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/study-birth-control-pill-and-abortion-spike-breast-cancer-risk?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NCRegisterDailyBlog+National+Catholic+Register#When:2014-01-8%2008:35:01

So Obama wants us to pay for women to get contraceptives for "health reasons. How is this healthy? Why should I have to pay for couples to have sex without consequences!? Next, Obama will want us to pay for his cigarettes and claim it is for his mental health and therefore good.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Ignoring miracles--Is it a sign of pride or a sign of humble faith?

"The fact that the world even exists is a miracle."
"The flowers are miracles.  All of creation is a miracle."
"Why do I need to hear someone's claim that a miracle happened to them?"
"What does it matter?"
"God will do whatever He wills."
"I believed before I heard about so-and-so's miracle.  I don't need to hear about this or that miracle."
"I don't care.  I already have the faith."
"We don't need them anyway."
"The metaphorical understanding of Jesus' miracles are more important than the miracles themselves."

When I hear these things from good Christians, I cringe.  These beliefs are rooted in pride.  They can't understand them and they want to have it all figured out.  They convince themselves that they don't matter and they put them off, pretending they are not there to be dealt with.  The devil has already created enough confusion with tempting liars to convince others of miracles as a means to get them to believe in the faith, with the well-crafted plan of actually leading people away from the faith when the lie is discovered.  So, good Christians will just ignore all miracles and not fall victim.  It is a means of self-preservation.  They don't want to look stupid if something they believed turns out to be false.  That is a sure sign of their fear and lack of trust in judgement.  They are playing right into the devil's hands with that attitude.

Why does God perform miracles?  What should we do about miracles?

1.  To allow us to know where our allegiances are--with God, against God, or indifferent to God.

Exodus 7:9
“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’”

Here, God uses a miracle as a means to allow Pharaoh to discern his position--it forces him to acknowledge or deny God's existence and power, but God will not be ignored altogether.  A decision must be made.


2.  We are to remember miracles, talk about them, meditate upon them.  They strengthen our faith commitment.

Psalm 78:11
They forgot what he had done, and the miracles that he had shown them.


3.  God is our father and He wants to interact with us.  He can do so however He chooses.  He is God and who are we to judge how he behaves?  God does not just want to teach us and have us mature in our thinking.  He wants to have a real relationship with us.  How can a real relationship exist without God doing something amazing?  He is amazing and He wants to interact with each one of us personally.

Acts 8:13
Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.


4.  God can do whatever He wants.  His will, not mine.

Hebrews 2:4
while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his own will.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Pope Frances on what to look for in choosing a bishop

Pope Frances told his representatives who are looking for potential bishops "that the candidates are Pastors who are close to the people, fathers and brothers; that they are gentle, patient, and merciful; that they love poverty, interior poverty as freedom for the Lord and exterior poverty as simplicity and austerity of life; that they don't have a 'principles' psychology. Be attentive that they aren't ambitious, that they don't seek the episcopate—'volentes nolumus'—and that they are spouses of a Church without constantly seeking another. That they are capable of 'keeping an eye on' the flock that will be entrusted to them, that is, of caring for everything that keeps it united; of being 'vigilant' over it; of being attentive to dangers that threaten it; but above all that they are capable of 'keeping an eye over' the flock; of keeping watch; of tending hope, that there is sun and light in their hearts; of sustaining with love and patience the plans that God has for his people."